Yu Jin barely had enough time to pamper his wife, let alone the patience to comfort a burly man. He tugged at the corner of his mouth and said, “Fifth Brother, why are you saying such nonsensical things?”
Prince Lu exploded, “Nonsensical? Seventh Brother, do you know that I’ve been demoted?”
“Demoted?”
Prince Lu wiped his face, “Yes, from Prince to Duke!”
“Why?” Yu Jin finally grew curious.
“Because I hit Second Brother!” Prince Lu looked at Yu Jin with a gaze that questioned life itself. “Seventh Brother, can you analyze the reason for me? Why is it that when you hit Second Brother, who was still the Crown Prince at the time – which was an offense against a superior – you only spent a few days in the Clan Court—”
Yu Jin couldn’t help but add, “And was fined a year’s salary…”
“Even if it were three years’ salary, so what? You bought a cosmetics shop for your wife!” Prince Lu slammed the table and stood up, pacing and sighing heavily. “I’ve been demoted in rank! Among all our brothers, you’re all Princes, only I will be a rank below you from now on!”
Yu Jin silently shifted his gaze to the garlic-headed vase passed down from the Han Dynasty.
The fact that Prince Lu could remember he had bought a profitable cosmetics shop for his wife at a time like this showed how deep an impression the vase had left on Fifth Brother.
Prince Lu put his hand on Yu Jin’s shoulder and shook it vigorously, “Seventh Brother, analyze it for me, why is it that you hit the Crown Prince and nothing happened, but when I hit the former Crown Prince, I got demoted instead?”
Yu Jin shook off Prince Lu’s hand and handed him a cup of tea, “Have some tea to calm down.”
Prince Lu took it and gulped it down in one go, even more swiftly than drinking wine.
Yu Jin glanced at Prince Lu and said, “Actually, Fifth Brother has already stated the reason.”
“What did I say?” Prince Lu looked bewildered.
“Father Emperor punished me lightly because Second Brother was the Crown Prince when I hit him. Father Emperor punished you heavily because Second Brother was no longer the Crown Prince when you hit him.”
When the high and mighty Crown Prince behaved inappropriately, the Emperor might think a beating would serve as a good lesson, hoping it might make the Crown Prince more sensible in the future.
But when a former Crown Prince is beaten, it only makes the Emperor feel like he’s kicking someone when they’re down, abusing a fallen Crown Prince.
Two different situations, of course, result in different punishments.
Yu Jin smiled and stroked his chin.
Come to think of it, his timing in hitting Second Brother was quite impeccable.
Prince Lu, however, became even more confused, “Seventh Brother, what do you mean? I don’t understand.”
What did it mean that when Seventh Brother hit Second Brother, he was the Crown Prince, but when he hit Second Brother, he wasn’t the Crown Prince anymore? It’s like saying nothing at all.
Yu Jin smiled and handed over another cup of tea, “Some things Fifth Brother needs to figure out for himself.”
Was he that close to Fifth Brother? Clearly stating such speculations about the Emperor’s intentions, if Fifth Brother turned around and sold him out, what if he also got demoted?
The Duchess’s treatment in all aspects would be a grade lower than the Princess’s, and he couldn’t let A’si be inferior to others.
“Does the Fifth Sister-in-law know about this?”
Prince Lu suddenly turned pale, “No…”
Yu Jin patted Prince Lu’s shoulder heavily, “Fifth Brother should return to his mansion soon.”
Prince Lu left the Prince of Yan’s mansion dejectedly.
Yu Jin put down the cold tea on the table and hurried back to the inner courtyard to share the gossip with his wife.
“Prince Lu hit the former Crown Prince and got demoted?” Jiang Si could barely hold back her laughter. “Prince Lu’s courage is admirable.”
When the Crown Prince was deposed, it seemed like anyone could step on him, but in reality, he was the most untouchable before the Emperor had completely given up on this son.
In this world, the most difficult thing to gauge is the human heart, especially a parent’s heart toward their favored child.
You might think this person has been beaten and scolded by their parents, with the parents appearing ready to finish off this child, but if someone else were to kick this person, the first to be unhappy would be the parents.
A person’s heart can be very hard, but a parent’s heart can be very soft.
Jiang Si was very certain about this, at least the Crown Prince’s later reinstatement proved Emperor Jingming’s intentions.
Prince Lu was truly fearless in his ignorance, courting death.
Jiang Si’s comment “Courage is admirable” made Yu Jin smile knowingly.
His A’si was much smarter than Prince Lu.
“The possibility of Prince Jing being reinstated is very high,” Jiang Si said.
Although she couldn’t explicitly mention events from her past life, she could still give hints.
“Don’t worry, I won’t go provoking the former Crown Prince.”
So, things you want to do should be done early, opportunities once lost may never come again. This applied to marrying A’si, and also to beating the Crown Prince.
Prince Lu returned to his mansion and steeled himself to see Princess Lu.
“There’s something I want to tell you—”
Princess Lu raised her willow-like eyebrows, her eyes full of murderous intent, “Is Your Highness planning to bring a concubine home for the New Year?”
After saying this, she slammed the table heavily, waiting expressionlessly for Prince Lu’s answer.
“If only it were that simple—” Prince Lu sighed.
“What did Your Highness say?”